Kohl's to open at 3 a.m. on Black Friday

Kohl's will stage its earliest ever day-after-Thanksgiving opening this year, 3 a.m., according to ad fliers that are popping up on Black Friday websites today.

Kohl's declined to confirm the opening time. Senior vice president of public relations Vicki Shamion said: " Kohl's is very disappointed about the unauthorized advertisement leak."

Opening times on ad scans on the sites include 4 a.m. for Macy's and Sears. Major appliances will be a hot item at Sears again this year. The flier lists Kenmore washer and dryer for $200 each and a large front-loading pair for $600.

Meanwhile, a Consumer Reports blog says Sears will be open on Thanksgiving Day this year. Sears spokeswoman Natalie Howser confirmed that Sears stores will be open from 7 a.m. to noon on Thanksgiving. It's the first time Sears has done this, she said.

"After talking to our customers and listening to them last year, a lot of them needed the extra time to shop," Howser said.

More and more retailers have started opening on Thanksgiving in recent years, including Kmart and Gander Mountain.

Retail Business News

Meijer Inc., the Grand Rapids, Mich., retailer that is opening its first stores in Wisconsin this summer, has purchased a mall in Sheboygan and eventually plans to open a store there, the company said Friday.

Executives at Meijer have said they intend to expand in cities across Wisconsin in much the same way the company has grown across similar size cities in its home state of Michigan.

In Sheboygan, the company has purchased Memorial Mall. The 367,000-square-foot mall's tenants include a Kohl's, Bed Bath & Beyond and Hobby Lobby stores.(9)